The Terror by Night by E.F. Benson
The narrative explores the phenomenon of emotional transference, particularly in the context of fear and foreboding. The story centers on two friends, Jack Lorimer and the narrator, who experience an inexplicable sense of dread after Jack's wife, Daisy, is sent to Davos for treatment of her illness. Despite receiving positive updates about Daisy's health, both men are plagued by a growing anxiety that culminates in a chilling atmosphere. As they attempt to distract themselves from their fears, the narrator suggests they go out for dinner, inviting a mutual friend, Dr. Philip Enderly. However, the oppressive sense of terror continues to loom over them. The narrator experiences physical sensations of cold, while Jack expresses a deep-seated fear of an impending disaster, which he refers to as "the terror by night." The tension escalates when the narrator's servant reports seeing a ghostly figure resembling Daisy on the stairs, just as a scream pierces the air. The friends rush to find Jack unconscious in front of the fireplace, having succumbed to chloroform fumes. Despite efforts to revive him, he is declared dead, coinciding with the moment of Daisy's passing in Davos due to complications from a minor operation. The story concludes with the implication that Jack's death was a form of emotional transference, as he seemingly joined his wife in death at the moment of her passing. The narrative leaves readers contemplating the connections between love, fear, and the unseen forces that bind individuals across distances, suggesting that emotional experiences can transcend physical boundaries.
By E.F. Benson · First published 1937 · Genre: Horror, Psychological Thriller, Gothic Fiction · 3,493 words
First lines
The transference of emotion is a phenomenon so common, so constantly witnessed, that mankind in general have long ceased to be conscious of its existence, as a thing worth our wonder or consideration, regarding it as being as natural and commonplace as the transference of things that act by the ascertained laws of matter. Nobody, for instance, is surprised, if, when the room is too hot, the opening of a window causes the cold fresh air of outside to be transferred into the room, and in the same way no one is surprised when into the same room, perhaps, which we will imagine as being peopled with dull and gloomy persons, there enters someone of fresh and sunny mind, who instantly brings into the stuffy mental atmosphere a change analogous to that of the opened windows. Exactly how this infection is conveyed we do not know; considering the wireless wonders (that act by material laws) which are already beginning to lose their wonder now that we have our newspaper brought as a matter of course every morning in mid-Atlantic, it would not perhaps be rash to conjecture that in some subtle and occult way the transference of emotion is in reality material too. Certainly (to take another instance) the sight of definitely material things, like writing on a page, conveys emotion apparently direct to our minds, as when our pleasure or pity is stirred by a book, and it is therefore possible that mind may act on mind by means as material as that.
What this Textopian page supports
The Terror by Night is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.F. Benson, dated 1937 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.F. Benson
- Date: 1937 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Psychological Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Mystery, Literary Fiction
- Length: 3,493 words
- Structure: 1 section, 73 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Terror by Night by E.F. Benson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Terror by Night?
- How does this short story by E.F. Benson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Eyes Of The Panther by Ambrose Bierce
- In The Court Of The Dragon by Robert W. Chambers
- Mummy by David Park Barnitz
- Darkness by Irvin S. Cobb
- The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole
- An Apparition by Guy De Maupassant
Genres
- Horror — The story explores themes of fear, the supernatural, and the unknown, creating a chilling atmosphere.
- Psychological Thriller — The narrative delves into the characters' psychological states, particularly their fears and anxieties.
- Gothic Fiction — Elements of the supernatural and emotional intensity align with Gothic conventions.
- Mystery — The plot involves uncovering the source of fear and the circumstances surrounding the characters' experiences.
Tags
Mystery · Thriller · Horror · Supernatural · Gothic · Dark · Suspenseful · Atmospheric · Psychological · Paranoid · Isolated · Small-town